Priestly creates tension early on by having Mr. Birling talking of war as ‘fiddlesticks’; “… you will hear people say that war is inevitable- and to say that I say fiddlesticks! The Germans don’t want a war. Nobody wants a war;” this is creating lots of dramatic irony because the audiences know that there was a world war. He also says that the titanic will never sink “the titanic – she sets sail next week – forty – six thousand eight hundred tones- newyork in 5 days and every luxury- and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”. Mr. Birling is making it seem that what ever he said is a fact and can’t be untrue, but the audience knows that the titanic first voyage to America it hits an iceberg and sinks. Once again this is dramatic irony. All of what Mr. Birling says is showing that he is a portentous man that thinks what ever he says is right, but the audience knows differently. This suggests that Mr Birling is a flawed character.
Priestley maintains a climax through out the play by slowly allowing different suspects whom he is going to interrogate to see the picture of Eva smith, but only one suspect is allowed to see at any given time. Dramatic tension is created when he tells part of what happened, knowing that some someone in the room would have played at part in. when the character realises that he or she has had something to do with what the inspector is saying they tend to act startled like then Sheila says “when was this” and Gerald says “what?”. But eventually they all end up telling there side of the story.
Gradually the moral of the story unfolds, as we don’t actually know if any of people have met or taken part in Eva smith’s life. All that we know from the inspector is that “two hours ago a young girl had died in the infirmary”. The audience think that they have gone to see a typical ‘who did it’ play but you start to realise that the play is a political statement. The play sets out to make the audience think about the consequences that things they do in there life may have a big effect on other people. “one Eva smith has gone- but there are millions and millions of Eva smiths and john smiths still left with us, with there hopes and fears, there suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are respocerbal for each over. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be thought it in fire and blood and anguish.” Theses are the last words the inspector uses, also theses are the most important lines of the play. What this speech is saying is that the human race must learn to live and get along with each over because if we don’t there will be many more people like Eva smith who live a life of misery and torment.
The audience are kept in suspense as the play gradually unfolds. We slowly learn who and how the characters act and what small things in there lives can affect other people in such a great way. We don’t learn everything all at once witch helps us to understand what the characters are like also it helps to build up the suspense. After the inspector’s final speech you start to think am I like any of the characters from the play, have I ever affected anyone’s life in such a great way. I think this is what Priestley was trying to do, to thing about the things we do and how they might affect other people. We see a change in the attitude of Eric and Sheila, they both realise that the events in Eva smiths live that they were involved in contributed a big part in her death. Sheila felt very bad from the beginning of the play but Eric didn’t really care, but as we get more and more into the play he starts to show guilt and realise what he did was wrong. Sheila says: “I remember what he said, how he looked, and what he made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish. And it frightens me the way you talk, and I can’t listen to anymore of it”. And Eric says: “and I agree with what Sheila. It frightened me too.”
An Inspector Calls by J B Priestly sets out to educate the audience, giving a strong reminder to the audience that we are all humans and we need to learn to live together, and to get along with each over. Also small actions in out lives may have a huge affect on other people’s lives. He tells us this by saying “if we do not learn this lesson ‘then we will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.
